Espada del Odio
by JameyoftheMegacosmos
Summary: After the events of Utena, Aizen is somehow able to gain control of the rarely seen Swords of Hate. To cover for the fallen prince's mistakes, he uses these swords as part of his new creations to destroy the Utena characters. A group named the Espada del Odio. Basically set for action and a large number of battles between the two shows. May or may not continue this.
1. Prologue

Just some random crossover I idea I had.

Not sure if I'll continue it or not. But I _have_ thought of and planned a number of fights in it.

Well, review what you think.

* * *

Darkness and silence filled the room. So dark it was nearly pitch black, few people could see a few meters. So silent that nothing could be heard from outside. It was also very empty; hardly anything was inside. Or least that's what one would interpret upon seeing the room. The fact was there was much stuff going on, all being observed by two men in white robes.

The first was a brown-haired man holding a sphere in crystal glass. He was placing it in front of a number of figures. Each of these was wrapped up in a type of cloth and though they looked human, they had very unique features. He only stared at them and gave a slight smile at his creations.

The second one, who was standing behind the first with closed eyes and a perpetual smile, overlooked the process. "My, you sure are taking some pleasure in this, Lord Aizen."

Aizen, the second man called the first, turned to his short white-haired subordinate. "I appreciate the comment, Gin. The Hogyouku can truly prove its effects on almost anything."

"However," Gin continued. "Are you sure that this is a good idea, Lord Aizen?"

"Do you question my recommendation? One that is necessary for us?"

"That is not what I am worried about." Gin responded. "The usual creation of Arrancars is fine. It's what you've put in these new ones here."

_Yes,_ Aizen thought. _The Swords of Hate._

Gin was aware of Aizen's sudden interest in these things. Since he got wind of their presence, he and his men went out to gather them. It was difficult to find them and even required the Hogyouku. But once they were all together, he brought them up to his palace to study. And now he's putting them to the test.

"The thing is," Gin questioned. "The Swords of Hate are just a symbol. They're only known to be part of a large fairy tale. How do you expect finding and adding them to make any effect on the usual Arrancar?"

"We felt their presence, Gin. These swords are more than just inanimate objects like you typically see. You and I could feel the spiritual fluctuations by the time they were most active."

"Then, what about Akio?"

"The fallen prince?" Aizen confirmed. "He's of no use to me. The fact remains that his Bride abandoned him and his challenger somehow escaped."

"My, you sure speak strongly against an old friend of yours."

"It was his fault for letting it happen. I have no need for someone who fails in such a miserable way." He closed his eyes. "Well, I guess it can't be helped."

Aizen raised his hand up front. "With those Duelists and the Bride still alive, that means more work is to be done. And by giving what entities these swords have a physical form; it should be more than enough to finish the job he should have completed by now."

By that time, one of the figures started to shake. This once had some kind of cloak, along with a head shaped like a cylindrical tank. It moved sideways as it tried to struggle free from its cocoon.

"Ah," Gin interjected softly. "Looks like one of them has already started to hatch. Shall we wait for the others before we begin?"

"No," Aizen replied, bringing Gin's face into a rare frown. "Once he comes out, we shall begin immediately."

The two men walked up to the hatching Arrancar and face forward.

"Welcome, my fellow Arrancar." Aizen greeted the creature about to be born. "If there is anyone who knows the Swords of Hate, I now offer you a chance to fulfill your rage...

...As the Espada…Or with a more definite title…the Espada del Odio."


	2. Introduction 1

_Just some introductions before some of the major plots kick in. One of which will lead to one of the first of the major fights._

_I don't own Utena or Bleach._

* * *

The sun was high above the sky in the city of Karakura Town.

As usual, the streets were live with people. People were walking from work and school. Cars filled the streets with traffic. Shopping centers were busy with customers.

And a young dark-skinned girl wandered within the alleyways. Along the way, she turned to see her companion, a small purple monkey, beside her.

Their names were Anthy Himemiya and Chu-Chu. This was their second or third month since they left for the outside world. It was Anthy's decision. Ever since that day, after the duel between her brother and her savior, she chose to leave. It was to leave everything behind: Her title as the Rose Bride, the abusive relationship with her incestful brother, her incalculable duration of time staying at their Academy, her role as a Witch, and the Swords of Hate. All of that was now gone for her. What was left for her were traces of the savior she knew. That's what kept her going. That's one of many reasons why she left the past as past. That's why she left Ohtori Academy.

And that's why she came here to Karakura Town as she said to her companion, "You still feel it, can't you?"

"Chu." her pet said. That was the only word the earringed monkey could say. Even so, Anthy was able to understand her. In a way at least.

Anthy knew Chu-chu was agreeing with her. They've been feeling some kind of spiritual presence since they arrived in Karakura Town. Sometimes, it felt heavier. Sometimes, it felt smaller. But it was still felt in the entire area.

That was a sign, she thought, that would help her find her savior.

As she walked slowly down the alley, the spiritual presence became heavier again. Only this time, it was at a certain direction, focused to her left. She was coming to a break in the alleyway when they felt the concentration of pressure. It was obvious logic, whatever she was feeling must be coming from that direction. Maybe she'll find that savior again here. That, of course, excited her. Yet, she remained calm as she made the turn.

Instead, the two saw a small building that looked like a runoff shop. Above had the words "Urahara Shop" in Kanji. There was a vehicle parked next to it and the doors were open. Hardly anyone was there, unlike most places in the town.

Anthy looked around to see her surroundings. Everything was still quiet and the pressure felt concentrated at the shop. This was probably it, she thought as she walked inside.

As she entered through the traditional Japanese doors, she looked around to see sets of candy lined on the shelves and walls. Anthy and Chu-chu wandered through one of the aisles, observing the empty shop. There was no one else but them.

That is until someone spoke behind them, "You must be lost."

At first, Anthy jumped as she turned around with her pet. It truly was a voice she never heard, yet it sounded friendly. She saw a blonde man with a white and green striped hat that covered his eyes. He wore a ragged kimono, held a cane in his right hand, and his left one was buried deep into his pocket. He had a friendly smile , so he didn't look threatening.

The blonde man continued, "Is there something I can help you with, miss?"

Anthy had many questions she wanted to ask, including about the pressure she felt. "Yes, actually. I came here to find someone. I thought she'd be here."

The blonde man just gave smile. "I don't know how much I can do, miss. Usually, we don't get that many customers here. As you can see, it's pretty run down."

The hatter turned around. "Well, if that's what you're looking for, then that's all I can say."

"Actually," Anthy said, which got the man's attention. "I've been feeling some kind of pressure here."

The hatter turned back to Anthy. "Pressure?"

"Yes," Anthy continued. "I felt some kind of pressure or energy coming from here. And not just any kind of pressure, it's as if something...magical was creating it. I thought it might be a clue."

The blonde hatter gave a smile and giggle. Anthy gave a confused look.

"Funny," he said. "I thought I'd never have someone track me that way. Usually, that kind of pressure is untraceable to normal humans."

"Normal humans?"

"But you're different if you can trace that kind of signature." the hatter continued. "I'd like to know more."

"Who are you?"

The blonde man giggled. "My, my. Quite rude of me not to introduce myself." He put his cane up and started swinging it. "I'm Kisuke Urahara. Just a normal candy shop owner."

"I...don't buy it." Anthy said.

"Hm, I thought you wouldn't." Urahara stopped swinging his cane and placed it onto the ground. He took a fan from his left hand and put it over his face. "And who would you be?"

"Anthy, Anthy Himemiya." She looked at her pet. "And this is Chu-Chu."

"Chu," the monkey replied.

Urahara gave a small laugh. "Please to meet you, Anthy."

Anthy also gave a short smile.

Their conversation was interrupted when a loud roar was heard. Both Anthy and Chu-Chu were frightened by this unexpected sound. They also widened their eyes a little.

Kisuke only gave a concerned face. "Another one? Must be Jinta and Ururu again."

"Jinta and Ururu?"

Urahara opened up the door and revealed a massive creature outside. The monster was humanoid looking and completely black. It had a white mask for a face. Circling it was a red-orange spiky-haired boy charging at the creature with a large club. Aside from him was a black haired girl with pigtails carrying long object wrapped in cloth, which fired multiple bolts at the monster.

The creature responded with a loud scream that shook even Anthy and Chu-chu. The two kids were pushed back and landed on their backs with their weapons. The creature advanced towards its opponents as they struggled to get up.

The fight was interrupted when Uharaha took out a sword from his cane. He shouted, "Scream! Benehime!" Crimson red energy shot from the cane sword and towards the creature. It was struck and split in half easily, then dissolved into nothingness. The whole fight over within those few seconds.

The reception was not well received by one of its challengers. "Hey, we were in the middle of a fight! Don't interrupt!"

"Jinta…" the girl said in a shy tone.

Urahara took the complaint lightly as he put his right hand behind his head and giggled. "Sorry, but there wasn't any other easy way. You don't want our home destroyed, do you?"

"Whatever," Jinta said.

The complaint never touched Anthy and Chu-chu. However, they were more concerned with what they just saw. "Excuse me, Urahara. But, what was that?"

Urahara turned around, "Oh, that creature? You sure you haven't seen it?"

"No," she paused, remembering the feeling she had during the fight. "But the energy it gave off. It feels so familiar."

"It's called a Hollow." Urahara replied.

"A Hollow?"

"It should be frequent for someone to find such beings. They often go after those with the spiritual abilities you and I have."

"Sorry," Anthy said. "This is my first time seeing such a beast. I mean- I've seen other beasts and I felt energies similar to that before, but never like this."

Urahara just smiled "If that's the case," He adjusted his hat. "Then maybe I can help you out."

He called out to the two children, "Jinta! Ururu! I think that's enough fighting Hollows for now. Come in and we'll have some lunch!"

"Fine," Jinta said with a disappointed look. He and the girl, who was very likely Ururu, came back into the shop.

Urahara turned back to his guests. "Would you care to join us? At the same time, you can tell us more about who you are."

Anthy just nodded. "Sure."

Her pet cried out, "Chu"

* * *

The skies were a clear blue, the lands were barren, and there was hardly any sound. There was hardly anyone around at all.

All except a woman who was resting on the ground, a woman named Utena. She had pink hair and was dressed in a male uniform. She laid there for a while, unable to move, let alone awake.

That was until now, when she opened her eyes slowly to the clear skies. She bent upward and shook her head. She looked around to see the barren wastelands. She continued to shake her head.

All she knew was what happened before. The time when she fought against the fallen Prince, the same one who saved her lead started her journey. Then a lot happened afterward: being stabbed by the Rose Bride, which she is unsure that she's still there, opening up the Rose Gate, the Swords of Hate coming after her, then disappearing from the scene. And now she was here, in a strange deserted place unknown to her.

"What happened?" Utena asked herself as she got up. "It's as if I'm in the middle of nowhere."

Suddenly, she heard a noise. It sounded like something of low-frequency like a distorted bass drum. What was alarming was that it was coming from behind.

_"Would you want me to help you with that?"_ a high-pitched voice came from the same direction.

Utena jerked around in shock, but she saw nothing. Before she completely see who it was, she heard the same drum-like noise. She stood there for a moment. It all happened so quickly and spoken so close, it was frightening. Furthermore, the voice didn't sound like anything human. And even if it was human, it sounded much like a child. These thoughts pricked her brain by the second.

_If only I had something to protect myself_, Utena thought. _I would be fine, in case this turned into bad news_. If only she had her soul sword, but that was lost back in her last duel. She cursed that thought. _If only he didn't choose to break it._

Her thoughts were interrupted by another drum noise. This time, it was to the right of where her body was facing. She looked forward and saw a white figure looking away. The figure had a white dress garb that covered most of its body. Even the head was covered by frills. Utena could see something cylindrical above the dress, protected by something also white. Aside from that, she could only see its black shoes. It was hard to tell whether it was male or female.

**"If that's the case,"** the figure now spoke in a dark voice. **"Follow me."**

Utena was freaked out even more. First it tries speaks behind her, then it reveals itself as a completely dress figure, now it changes voices. She couldn't move.

_"What's wrong?"_ the figure asked in its light voice. _"Is something bothering you?"_

Utena wanted to say yes. This was completely weird and unwelcoming of her. She was also weary if the figure really was trying to help or if this was a trap. Yet again, it wasn't like she had any other choice.

She shook her head. Though still cautious, she took her first steps towards the white figure.

**"Very well." **the figure spoke in its dark voice as it also started walking. **"****Come, then."**


	3. Introduction 2

Inside the Urahara Shop, a small dining room table was set. Loads of food were placed out. The small room became crowded.

Jinta and Ururu sat together with the former reaching out for a few bowls. Kisuke was sitting at one of the longer sides, waving his fan and not eating much. Across from Urahara was a large muscular man watching over the food with his arms crossed. Anthy also sat across from the kids and Chu-chu was at the corner. Anthy wasn't eating much either, but she was willing to give her monkey something to eat, which gladly accepted it.

Uraraha noticed Anthy's slow eating. "What's wrong? Is the food not good?"

Anthy shook her head. "It's fine. Me and Chu-chu like it even."

"Glad to hear. Tessai and I are long-time partners. We do our best to make the place convenient, even though it looks a little messy."

A large man, who Urahara called Tessai, nodded. Anthy looked around and could only agree with Urahara's statement.

"Then what's bothering you?" Urahara asked her. "Not very hungry?"

Anthy shook her head again. "I'm just choosing not to eat much. I don't want to feel indebted to you or like I'm in a life of luxury."

"Don't sweat it," Urahara encouraged. "We're fine with those who don't want to eat much. Even with those who do, we have plenty more for ourselves, now that we have some funds back."

"Funds?" Anthy wondered. "Didn't you say this place is run down?"

"Yeah, but due to recent events, things are looking a little better for us. Especially now that our tensions with the Soul Society have eased."

"Soul Society?" Those words enlightened Anthy and Chu-chu. They didn't know exactly what it was, but they had a feeling what it meant. "You mean some kind of afterlife?"

"Exactly," Urahara nodded. "That's where many souls go to when they die."

Before Anthy could speak, Urahara interrupted, "I know what you're thinking, your friend may be there, which is possible. Because that's only if they're sent by a Soul Reaper."

Anthy didn't know what a Soul Reaper was, but asked, "And if she didn't?"

Urahara was quiet for moment, but answered, "Then I'm afraid she may have turned into a Hollow."

That froze Anthy and frightened Chu-chu. "A Hollow?" she asked in confirmation. "Like the one we just saw?"

Urahara just nodded. "Hollows are originally souls who stay in this world, also known as the World of the Living, for too long. Overtime, despair and regrets would keep them here and eventually transform them completely into black masked monsters just like what you saw."

Anthy looked to her companion. She refused to believe that would be Utena's fate. She even saw Chu-chu coming near her as she comforted it.

"However," Urahara continued. "That's what Soul Reapers are for. To cleanse those Hollows before sending them to the Soul Society."

Anthy wanted to sigh with relief, but she had new questions. "These 'Soul Reapers'. What are they?"

"They're the elite force made to protect the Soul Society. When Soul Reapers come to the World of the Living, they usually have two functions: send fresh souls, known as 'Pluses' or 'Wholes', to the Soul Society, and fight Hollows wherever they appear. Defeating Hollows is the same thing as purifying them, before sending them to their respective afterlife."

Anthy finally let out a sigh. Now that it was a win-win situation, she was more than likely to find her. Of course, she knew Utena, her savior. She would never let a transformation into a Hollow get in the way. Finding her was a promise Anthy made to resolve.

"So, I want to ask," Urahara resumed the conversation. "What is your story?"

"Well since you ask," Anthy cleared her throat. "Where should I start?"

"Any time you wish."

Anthy nodded. "To start with, are you familiar with the Tale of the Rose Bride?"

Urahara shook his head. "I'm not familiar."

Anthy nodded again and began. "A long time, I used to live with a brother. He was...a prince whose job was to save people from danger. Much similar to the Soul Reapers as you speak. However...I can't recall exactly what happened. But one day, my brother was fatigued and the villagers were angry at us. When I tried to help him…" She paused. "They suddenly attacked me with swords."

"That's horrible." Ururu said, overhearing the conversation. "Why would they do that?"

Anthy shook her head. "Even I don't remember. All I know is that they called me a witch. People nowadays say it's because I _stole_ the prince for trying to help him." She paused again. "And that's when I became the Rose Bride."

"Huh? Rose Bride?" Jinta commented. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's similar...to a princess."

"A princess!? That's amazing!"

Anthy shook her head. "Not as amazing as you think. In the end, I hated being called the Rose Bride."

"Huh?" Jinta was confused. "How come?"

"Just..everything. To start with, I was only with my older brother who had become...twisted. On a daily basis, he ran a set of duels at a place we ran called Ohtori Academy. Something the Soul Society you mentioned. After these duals, he would make me the prize and I be used by the winners. Outside of the duels was no better. I was constantly harassed by the students and even my brother would attack me."

"That's crap!" Jinta shouted out. When she saw Anthy's shocked look, he felt guilty. "Sorry." He shook his head. "But still, if you were treated like that, why didn't you just leave or look for help!?"

"I...I thought I couldn't. First thing, the dualists only wanted my title, so I couldn't ask them. And as I said, everyone saw me as a witch, so no one in the Academy would help me. Then, I was utterly convinced by my brother that he was my only line of support. And everyone saw him as still the pure prince everyone once knew." She paused with guilt. "Some of it was my doing, due to how much pain he was in at the time." She paused again to shake her head. "But that was then. And I _was_ helpless back then. But it was thanks to my savior, I was able to break out."

"Tell us, Anthy." Urahara commented again. "Who is this little savior of yours?"

"Was it a prince?" Jinta joked.

Anthy giggled. The others were confused by this sudden laughter until she said, "It's funny because that's what she wanted to be."

"'She'?" Jinta said in confusion. "Shouldn't a prince be a guy?"

Anthy shook her head. "Not this time. She was rescued by a male price. Actually, she was rescued by my brother, which made her want to become one. That's what lead her to our Academy. And then, she inspired me to leave the Academy. That's why I see her as my prince."

"That's quite impressive." Urahara spoke. "For a young girl to come to another's rescue. Something you don't see every now and then."

A door suddenly opened and a new voice came, "Eh-em, are you forgetting someone?"

Urahara jumped and everyone else turned to see another woman appearing by the door. Anthy was surprised to see who turned out be another dark-skinned woman. She also had purple hair, except hers was shorter, straighter, and had a ponytail behind her head. She also wore an orange shirt over a short black over shirt. She had black stretch pants and brown lightweight shoes.

But she didn't look pleased and Anthy saw how flustered Urahara was.

"Sorry," Urahara apologized. "Wasn't thinking back there."

The woman gave a glare. "Just remember next time."

Just then, she turned to see their guest, who looked uncomfortable with her arrival.

"You're not from here, are you?"

Anthy shook her head.

"Sorry about that. Kisuke's often a lazy one, he doesn't always think straight."

"No, it's fine." Anthy pardoned. "But who are you?"

"I'm Yoruichi. Yoruichi Shihoin. I was the one to rescue Kisuke and Tessai and helped escape to the World of the Living."

Anthy look at the two men across from one another, then back to Yoruichi. "So you three are souls?"

"That's right. We were forced to flee the Soul Society after an incident about a hundred years ago." She looked at Urahara. "And it's thanks to Urahara we were able to settle here undetected."

"Why did you have to rescue them? And flee from the Soul Society?"

"That, I can explain later," Yoruichi replied. "But first, tell us more about this prince of yours."

Anthy was surprised. "You mean you-"

"Yes, I heard every word, which I'm also surprised to hear." Yoruichi walked between Tessai and Anthy and sat down. She reached for a bowl and turned to Anthy. "So tell me? Who is this prince you're looking for? Does she have a name?"

"Yes, her name is Utena. Utena Tenjou. She wanted to be a prince, which is why she participated in the duels in the first place. After many battles, she tried to fight my brother, but lost. But even then, she won."

"Won? In what way?"

"Utena and my brother were dueling with each other to decide who would gain the power to change the world. It's what we called 'revolutionizing the world'. Beside them was a gate, which my brother wanted to open to gain the power for himself. And even though, he'd won, he couldn't open he gate. It was only Utena herself who could. That was the last time I saw her."

"And what change did she bring?" Urahara asked. "Just asking."

"Well, I noticed some things different. The most notable example, the dualists I knew have changed. Some even became a little friendlier. But other than that, the only other change is that hardly anyone knows her anymore. Anyone but me, my brother, and a few others."

"Could you leaving the Academy also have something to do with it?"

"No, that was my choice. Let's just say...she opened the coffin for me."

"Opened the coffin?" Jinta was confused.

"That's the best way I can put it. Another way of saying it is that she gave me the opportunity to leave. And I decided to take it and leave the Academy behind along with my brother. He can stay there and pretend to be the prince."

"Serves him right. I bet he's the one cast as the villain by now."

"I don't know about that." Anthy shook her head. "But that's not the point. The point is, I know Utena's still out there and I hope to find her whenever I can."

"Do you have any proof she's still alive or even around?" Yoruichi asked.

Anthy nodded. She reached for her chest and a bright light glowed. A little later, a handle for a sword manifested as she pulled it out, but the blade was broken. She raised it for the others to see.

"This," Anthy said. "is my proof that one I'm looking for is still alive. I'm sure you're all able to see it."

The others nodded, but Tessai commented, "It looks like a broken Zanpakuto."

"Zanpak- what?"

"A Zanpakuto," Urahara corrected. "It's a weapon used by Soul Reapers that allow them to carry out their duties. They come in many forms and have unique abilities relating to their owner."

"Like the cane sword you used against that Hollow?" Anthy asked for an example.

"Exactly. Moreover, they stick to their original owner. Once the owner dies, the sword vanishes along with it."

"I see." Anthy merely nodded. "In Ohtori Academy, we and the dualists actually call this a Soul Sword. As you saw, they're drawn out people's chests like mine. They may not look like much, but some swords are very powerful with a variety of factors, like the owner's spirit and purity." Anthy looked at her sword. "My brother wanted this because he needed it to open the gate to unlock the revolution. Though he got it, he wasn't able to open it and the sword shattered into this state." She looked back to her hosts. "Even after Utena disappeared from that dual, I still feel its energy, so I know she's out there." She turned to Urahara. "And if what you say is true, that this is like a Zanpakuto and that it only vanishes if the owner dies, then that's even more proof."

Urahara nodded in her logic. "That's the best conclusion we have."

Yoruichi just finished up a bowl before she began talking. "So what will you do now?"

"Well," Anthy thought. "If there's any chance, I would like to go to the Soul Society."

Urahara giggled and adjusted his hat. Anthy has a confused look, but Yoruichi glared back at him.

"There's no reason not to." Anthy said. "In fact, it could be the best place for me to find her."

"That's true," Urahara agreed. "But there are couple problems we have to work with."

"Hm? Like what?"

"First thing, you'll need a way into the Soul Society. It ain't just a place you can simply walk to. And sometimes, you have to get everything right to ensure you'll make it there without any...sudden adjustments."

"Sudden adjustments?"

"Meaning something bad doesn't happen to you." Yoruichi explain.

Anthy nodded securely as she turned back to Urahara. "What else?"

"Second is access."

"Access?"

"You see, the Soul Society is divided into two sections. The only place a normal person could get in is outer Rukon districts, where most ordinary souls live. If you really want to find your prince, you'll need to get into the smaller and more important section known as the Seireitei. That's where all the Soul Reapers live. That said, only Soul Reapers are allowed and it has nearly impenetrable defenses against intruders and unauthorized guests."

"I see." Anthy said. She looked at her companion, knowing the extreme difficulty.

"Fortunately," Urahara continued. "We have solutions to that."

Anthy looked up, "How?"

Yoruichi got into the conversation. "We have a gateway in this shop known as a Senkaimon. It's leads to a dimensional route where souls travel to and from the Soul Society."

"I was going to explain that." Urahara said to Yoruichi, who received a glare from her.

"I understand." Anthy said. "But what about access to the Seireitei?"

"Don't worry about that," Yoruichi answered. "I'll accompany you along the way."

"You will? Which means-"

"Yes, like Urahara, Tessai and I are Soul Reapers. It's better to say, we are former Soul Reaper Captains and other important officials."

"Soul Reaper Captains? Are you meaning you're officers or something?"

"That's right. You see, the Seireitei is divided into thirteen divisions known as the Gotei 13, also known as the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. All Soul Reapers are assigned to a specific squad, where they are under the command of its seated officers. The Captains are the highest in command and are the most powerful. Luckily for you, Urahara and I were Captains until we were forced to flee."

"That's a relief." Anthy thought. "But won't you get in trouble since you fled?"

"There's no need to worry about that," Urahara explain. "Like I said before, due to recent events, we were pardoned with what happened. As long as we didn't cause much trouble out here in the World of the Living, they're alright with us staying here and moving to and from the Soul Society."

"What happened?"

There was a pause. "Yoruichi...can explain that later." Urahara answered.

Anthy brushed it off. She knew it wasn't something good, but like them, she also had things to hide. It was understandable to them.

Switching the conversation, Anthy turned to Yoruichi. "So what will you do at the Soul Society?"

"I'll be visiting a few friends. One of which took over my squad when we fled. Hopefully by now, we have eased tensions with one another."

"I understand." Anthy nodded.

"So when do you plan to go?" Urahara asked.

"Anytime we're ready."

"Good then, we'll wait for you."

* * *

It was a while after lunch time when Anthy climbed down an underground chute beneath the shop. By the time she could see the ground, she saw a massive deserted field much larger than the shop. Anthy was both amazed by the large space and terrified by its depth since she was still very high above the ground. Fortunately, it became less scary as she climbed down and she relaxed with Chu-chu at the bottom. She turned to see Urahara and Yoruichi nearby. Next to Urahara was what looked like a pair of Japanese doors.

When Anthy approached Yoruichi, Urahara spoke, "This set of doors is the gateway into a maze of passageways known as the Dangai. This will get you into the Soul Society, but only if you follow the right directions."

"Is it that easy to get lost in there?"

"Exactly. It's best to follow Yoruichi, she'll guide you through once you enter."

Anthy nodded as Urahara split the doors open. She could see nothing but a dark tunnel up ahead. It was the only way, she knew, and that will be a big step to find her prince.

But before Anthy could take a step, Yoruichi raised a hand against her. "Wait."

Anthy stood for a moment. "What's going on?"

Urahara just giggled. "I know what is. Yes, you should wait for second."

Just then, a large rumbling was heard that shook the ground. The next minute, Anthy saw a machine that looked like a train passing through. Anthy was frightened at first, but relaxed again as it disappeared.

Even then, Anthy said, "I didn't know you had a train in there!"

Urahara just giggled and patted behind his head. "Well, it's not actually a train. It's a Kotosu. Also known as a Cleaner."

"A Cleaner? For what?"

"For those who stay in for too long. You see, in this tunnel, time is usually slowed down to two thousand times it is in the normal world. In other words, an hour here is the same as three whole months in there. The Cleaner was made to prevent anyone from taking advantage of that."

Anthy nodded. "Well, we don't plan on staying in there for long. Just enough to get into the Soul Society."

Urahara also nodded. "The Cleaner does one full sweep of the Dangai and only runs once a week. So don't worry about running into it again."

"We won't." Anthy said before her companion went "Chu".

"Alright then," Yoruichi turned to her guests. "Follow me."

And together, they passed through the doors and into the Dangai.


	4. Introduction 3

_Alright, I think it's just been decided. I'm going to continue this crossover now that I developed more of this crossover. Hope people like it._

_Progress may be slow, by the way._

It was around an hour when Anthy and Yoruichi walked through the Dangai. As expected, the place was a maze where the walls were made of some goo called the "Restrictive Current". That alone was freaky, how it can easily trap people forever inside. But that wasn't as scary as suddenly finding themselves under pursuit of a train-like Cleaner that plowed the pathways. But Anthy knew, as long as she stood by Yoruichi, she would be fine.

As Anthy walked through another set of Japanese doors, she could see a bright light blinding her eyesight. She had to cover eyes for the moment before she got used to the sunlight. But by then, she could see everything clearly.

She observed the landscape and was surrounded by alleys of wooden houses. Souls in human form were moving all around the streets carrying food and other stuff for markets. It was typical for some medieval or feudal era like that of Japan. It was also undoubtful, due to the traditional housing and other surroundings, that it looked like a typically depicted afterlife.

Yoruichi faced Anthy and Chu-chu as they observed their surroundings. "This is one of the Rukon districts," she introduced.

Anthy nodded and her companion when "Chu".

"It looks very nice around here." Anthy complimented. "Even though some of it looks a little run down."

"The Rukon districts are numbered based on how far they are from the Seireitei. Sadly, the wealth of the districts are the same. While all the wealthy noble families live closer to the Seireitei, most people live in the outer slums."

"Sorry to hear that," Anthy commented before shaking her head. "But even so, it feels like a place I want to be. Somewhat."

Yoruichi chuckled. "But that's not all of it. There are a few other residences outside of the Rukon districts where life is just as nice as this. One of which is owned by one of my friends, Kukaku Shiba."

"Sounds like some legendary man."

Yoruichi shook. "I get similar questions and the answer is 'no'. It's a she."

Anthy giggled. "I thought the same thing."

"Really?"

Anthy shook as she switched the subject. She turned towards a high mountain where most of the building started to get taller. "This must be the way then?"

Yoruichi nodded as they walked towards the gate. But after taking a few steps, she caught a flash. "Anthy, look out." she shouted as she quickly pushed Anthy away to the ground.

Anthy shook from the sudden surprise. Not only did she not expect this, but the outcome happened so quickly. It was more than Yoruichi's reaction time. Within less than a second, she felt her body jump to an incredible distance. About a full block to be precise as she measured from her previous location. She could also see Yoruichi facing the same direction.

The evaders found a young woman figure land near their previous position. She had short black hair with long white braids. Her uniform had no sleeves and a mixture of black and white colors. Before she turned around to reveal her gray eyes and a serious face, the frightened Anthy saw a two in Kanji on the woman's back. On her side, she carried a wakizashi, which she drew out afterwards.

"Sui-Feng!" Yoruichi shouted and the woman froze from those words.

"Yoruichi?" she called out.

Yoruichi suddenly moved in a flash before the eyes of the confused Anthy and her companion. She appeared right beside the woman who she called Sui-Feng. Her arrival kept her blade in front and glared at Yoruichi, but the purple-haired woman calmly put it down.

""Relax, Sui Feng. It's me."

Anthy saw Sui-Feng's arm weakening as her probable Zanpakuto was lowered and put back into place. As she walked towards them, the two women started talking.

"Sorry about the scare, Sui-Feng." Yoruichi apologized. "I should've sent a message sooner or later."

"The whole thing caused an uproar within the Seireitei. Judging by the spiritual pressure of you and your accomplice." Sui-Feng turned to Anthy.

"It was nothing much. I'm also surprised by her heavy spiritual pressure. But even so, I assure you she's not come to harm you. And we just came here to visit."

Sui-Feng flustered as she bowed. "A-anything I can do, my mistr- I mean Yoruichi."

Yoruichi giggled. "It's been long time since you forgot my warning to address me royally. Good thing that you still catch on."

Sui-Feng bowed again. "Please forgive me."

"Mistress?" Anthy said as she approached Yoruichi. "You mean you once had a royal title?"

"It's nothing important," Yoruichi waved. "It's true, I am a true princess like you. But I prefer to avoid such a title."

"Wait, you mean-" Sui-Feng jerk between Yoruichi and Anthy before stopping to bow before the latter. "Please, forgive me milady."

Anthy also waved. "Thanks, but I also prefer not be called that anymore. I also chose not to take such title."

Sui-Feng bowed once again. "P-Please forgive me, miss."

Anthy giggled from her sudden forgiving behavior. "I think you apologize a little too much," she said to the first blushing, then glaring Sui-Feng. "I looks like you and Yoruichi are very close to one another."

"It's true. We have been close to one another. I born in a family to serve under her to begin with."

"Then that must mean you're the friend she talked about. The one who took over her squad."

Sui-Feng slowly nodded.

"Which means, you're a Soul Reaper Captain."

"More than just a Captain," Sui-Feng said with a smile. "Yoruichi and I, formerly and currently, are also members of the Stealth Force."

"Stealth Force?"

"It's one of the special divisions aside from the Seireitei," Yoruichi explained. "They're made of highly skilled assassins made for top secret and high-priority operations within the Soul Society."

Anthy nodded in understanding before turning back to Sui-Feng.

"So what brings you here?" Sui-Feng asked in serious tone. "And how were you able to get here? Moreover, how were you able to find Yoruichi?"

"I-I don't know to explain that at the moment." Anthy answered. "All I did was trace what you called spiritual pressure while I was at Karakura Town where Kisuke Urahara took me here."

"Kisuke!?" Sui-Feng glared at Yoruichi, who sent her cowering back with the same look.

"We should calm things down here," Anthy spoke to both of them. "I don't think we need filler ranting that we don't need. And that's not what bring me here."

Yoruichi and Sui-Feng looked away as the latter turned back to Anthy. "Then what does?"

"I'll...explain along the way."

* * *

"So," Sui-Feng said listening to Anthy's story on their way towards the Seireitei. "You were once a young girl who was called princess and witch. All so your brother could gain power for himself."

Anthy nodded.

"And ever since this woman came to help you break free from his grasp, you are now trying to find and reunite with her."

"At least you understand."

"Yes, but unfortunately, we doubt she could be here."

"But this...Zanpakuto," Anthy raised to Sui-Feng.

"I'm not saying she's not alive. I'm saying we would have found her spiritual pressure under these circumstances So, she's probably somewhere else."

"It's worth checking. Just you can't find her doesn't mean _I_ can't."

"That is true. But it's highly unlikely." Sui-Feng changed the conversation. "Even so, we have to bring you here to the Seireitei anyway."

"What for?"

"The Soul Society is currently in time of danger. Ever since the recent incidents, all of Thirteen Court Guard Squads have been on full alert. We can no longer stand nonchalantly while our new enemies are preparing for war against all of the Soul Society."

"Are those incidents you once mentioned?" Anthy asked Yoruichi, who nodded as an answer. "So what exactly happened?"

"You'll have to meet the Head Captain first." Sui-Feng answered.

"Head Captain?"

"In the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, the Head Captain is the leader of all military forces within the Soul Society. Even individual groups unrelated to the squads such as the Stealth Force are under orders of the Head Captain himself. He is also the Captain of Squad One, which is dispatched for all emergency situations."

"It makes sense if he's the Head Captain." Anthy commented.

"Because of these situations," Sui-Feng said, ignoring the comment. "The Head Captain has ordered all unknown trespassers to be intercepted and identified. Even if they are associated with other Soul Reapers, neutrals and friendlies must report to him directly."

"Sounds more of a relief than a worry." Anthy said as she looks at her broken Soul Sword. "That should make it easier to find my prince."

As the trio walked together down the roads, Anthy look around and noticed the large fancy architecture of the buildings. Something from Edo-era Japan? Anthy thought.

She caught sight of a massive wall in front of her. In between her and the wall, there was a massive hulking man with large axes. She froze at her place.

Fortunately, the other two women continued walking towards him as he looked down to them.

"Well," the man said as if he knew them. "Look who decided to come back!"

"Hey there, Jidanbo!" Yoruichi called out to him. "How're your axes holding? And the gate?"

Jidanbo gave a laugh as he swung his axes. "They're holding up as usual. No new trespassers will be able to get past me!" He stopped moving and saw Anthy, who approached him moments later. "Well, look who we have here. Is this a friend of yours?"

"She's…" Yoruichi paused, looking for the right words. "Someone in need."

Anthy turned around. "You know this Jidanbo man here?"

"Nearly everyone knows him in this set of districts," Yoruichi answered. "He's the guardian of the West Gate."

"So this was the closest gate you could find? Why uses that sudden dash ability you two used?"

"That's not possible in this situation. This entire wall you see is made of Sekkiseki stone, made to block out spiritual pressure, and is one of the Seireitei's major defenses. The only usual way inside is one of the four gates separated evenly along the wall. Each of those gates have a guardian to keep intruders outside. Jidanbo here is in charge of this one."

Anthy turned up to Jidanbo, who was staring at him with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah." Sui-Feng interrupted. "Anyway, we need you to open up the gate and allow us inside. Our guest needs to the see the Head Captain."

"Sure," Jidanbo turned around. "Just give me second."

As Jidanbo grabbed hold of the gate at the bottom, Sui-Feng looked back at Anthy.

"What is it?" Anthy asked, drawn to her attention.

"You know," Sui-Feng said with suspicion. "There's something about you that seems familiar."

"As in?"

"This strange spiritual pressure and energy coming from you. It's nothing like that of an ordinary human."

Jidanbo interrupted as he opened the gate completely, "It's all ready for you! Go ahead!"

As the trio walked under and through the gate, Anthy continued the conversation as the gate closed down. "I would say so, but why would that be familiar to you."

"Because we've recently have some recruits with similar strange pressures. Maybe it's you're from a similar breed?"

"Or perhaps," a young male voice said nearby, which made everyone jump. "It's because we're all from a similar place."

Yoruichi and Sui-Feng looked around, but together looked to the same direction the voice came from.

"That voice," Anthy, facing the same direction. "It know that voice!"

"Is the one you're looking for?" Yoruichi said. "I thought that pince you were looking for was a girl."

"No, and she is." Anthy and the voice said at the same time, shocking the former.

A moment later, a man with red hair appeared with the same flash ability. Despite the same black kimono like the other Soul Reapers, Anthy immediately recognized him.

"Touga?"

"Hello, Anthy. It's been a long time."


	5. Introduction 4

"Touga?" Anthy said in surprise. "Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me." the long red haired man replied.

Yoruichi and Sui-Feng jerked between the two. "You two know each other?"

"Well, of course." Anthy paused. "We've known each other for quite a while."

"So what are you?" Yoruichi asked. "Former lovers?" she joked.

Touga chuckled, but Anthy shook head. "Well, not really. We're more of…"

"Former classmates." Touga finished.

Anthy nodded before turning to her other companions. "Do you remember the Academy I talked about? Well, he went to the same school. He was also one of the Dualists that Utena fought."

"And apparently, I'm also of the only few who still know her."

"Anthy told me," Yoruichi said. "That was after the last duel Utena fought."

"Yes," Touga confirmed. "Too bad I wasn't able to see it for myself. And it's surprising I'm the only Council member who remembers her. If only I could see her again..."

"That still doesn't explain why you're here." Anthy said.

Sui-Feng squinted her eyes. "Perhaps he's looking for the same person you are."

Touga chuckled. "Indeed I am." He turned his attention to Anthy. "You see, former Rose Bride, I left Ohtori Academy a little while after you did. In fact, it was for the same goal, to your prince and love, as well as mine. Rumors of this...afterlife, which roamed around the school, are what convinced me. When I heard more about the Soul Reaper Academy from the same rumors, that got me thinking. And so I left- call it a transfer you should say- passed through as a Soul Reaper, and got my place as a seated officer of the Gotei 13."

"Wow," Anthy said in silence. "That's amazing."

"Apparently, they're not the only ones." Sui-Feng inserted. "That's why your spiritual pressures were familiar. Thanks to it, he and several others were able to easily pass through the Soul Reaper Academy, _entire years _and even _decades_ ahead of the usual time. The news spread throughout all of the Soul Society about as fast as the recent incidents. People even began to worry about them and any similar students in the future."

Anthy was less surprised about the quick graduation and more focused on one detail. "They're not the only ones?" She turned to Touga. "Does that the other Council members are here?"

"Unfortunately, they're not here for the same reasons. Even so, they were guided here by the same rumors and decided to attend the Academy. Obviously what you would see, we've all graduated at different times and reached different positions since then." Touga crossed his right hand and bowed. "As for me, I am now Touga Kiryuu, third-seat officer of Squad 6."

Another Soul Reaper flashed back behind Touga without notice. He had long black hair with some sort of shell on his forehead. He had a white haori, showing Anthy clearly that he was a Captain, followed by Touga looking back at him.

The Captain spoke calmly, "Are you all done with your performance, Officer Kiryuu?"

Touga immediate stood up straight, turned around completely. "Why, Captain Kuchiki, sorry about that."

"Your apology has been accepted." Kuchiki said in the same neutral tone. He looked up to the other guests. "I see you intercepted a couple guests here."

"It was I who was doing the intercepting," Sui-Feng said. "It's no surprise one I'd bring here would be a former accomplice."

"I see."

"That white uniform," Anthy observed. "You must be a Captain." The Soul Reaper nodded. "And guessing from what Touga said, you're the captain of Squad 6?" The Soul Reaper nodded again.

"Byakuya Kuchiki," Yoruichi introduced. "Heir to one of the Soul Society's highest noble families and one of the famous captains."

Yoruichi suddenly flashed from her spot and appear behind Byakuya. Anthy froze and Sui-Feng readies her weapon, until the Captain flashed behind her. The two Soul Reapers flashed once more, but were facing each other this time. Anthy sighed and Sui-Feng let go of her weapon as Yoruichi stood from her fighting stance.

"Also," Yoruichi continued. "One of the most skilled users of _shunpo_."

"Shunpo?" Anthy said confused.

"That flash ability you just saw," Touga explained. "The art of where that technique is from is called _hoho_, but _shunpo_ is the most basic technique. Even your eyes can see that it's like teleportation, quickly moving from one place to another." He flashed behind Anthy, forcing her to turn around. "Just like this."

"I get it."

"Apparently, you haven't lost your proficiency in such a simple skill." Byakuya said to Yoruichi.

"Yet, your shunpo abilities are still predictable."

"Is that a comment?" Anthy asked.

"Shouldn't that be obvious of you!?" Yoruichi shouted to Anthy.

"Well, what else could it be!" Anthy called back. She shook her head as she turned back, particularly Sui-Feng and Touga. "So, you're saying that other Student council member managed to find this place and are now Soul Reapers?"

Touga nodded. "Would you mind if I gave you a tour?"

"Uhh, thanks." Anthy accepted. "But I should head to the Head Captain first. And besides, you may need permission for your Captain."

"I'll permit it," Byakuya said by the side. "The order clearly states associates friendly to the Soul Reapers at this time should report to the Head Captain, but that doesn't mean you head over there first. It's just something you must do before you leave the Soul Society."

"I understand," Anthy said before noticing Sui-Feng and Yoruichi walking away. "Where are you two going?"

"We're heading off to Squad 2," Yoruichi reminded. "As I said earlier, I'm off for a visit here with Sui-Feng."

"And I got head back as quickly as possible," Sui-Feng added. "Just hope my Lieutenant hasn't done much a lame job while I was away."

Anthy nodded as the two Soul Reapers flashed away. Shesaw Byakuya and Touga approach her.

"Come then," Touga brought a hand out. Let me and my Captain show you around."

* * *

A door busted nearby somewhere around the Seireitei. Rushing out was a yellow-haired girl in a normal black kimono running hastily towards the quarters. An long orange-haired woman stood in the way stopped her with one hand.

"NNAANNAAMMIIIII!" the woman shouted. "How many times have I told you not hide in my dresser!"

"Well, it's not like I'm a pervert, Ms. Rangiku!"

"Don't give me that!" Rangiku shouted. "Not to mention you should remember where your squad is! You're Squad 12 and what you're seeing here is Squad 10!" She pointed to the Kanji character for 10 by the side, "See? 10!"

"I can read, thank you very much! I'm not _that_ big of an idiot!"

"Well, you sure get on people's nerves!"

"Also," a white-haired boy came from behind. "May I remind you that you're talking to the _Lieutenant_ of Squad 10? While you are yet to be a seated officer?"

"Of course, kid! I know the ranks!"

The boy was easily agitated. "That's Captain Histugaya! Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya in full!"

"Either way," Rangiku declared. "You should be sticking with your own Captain."

"And be stuck there like a guinea pig?" Nanami shook. "No way!"

Rangiku glared. "Say that excuse again, I'll make you even worse than a guinea pig."

The terrified Nanami dashed right outside of the Squad 10 quarters. For a few moments, she was visible to the incoming Squad 6 members and their guest across from her.

"Was that Nanami?" Anthy said stunned.

"Yes," Touga confirmed. "And there she goes after hiding in the Squad 10 quarters…" He looked to right to see Rangiku and Toshiro reentering the building. "...as usual."

"Must be Kurotsuchi again." Byakuya predicted.

"Kurotsuchi?" Anthy asked.

"Captain of Squad 12," Touga explained. "And head of the Soul Society's Research and Development. It's reasonable why she'd try to hide from him."

"Sounds like someone I don't want to meet."

"That's still no reason for her to be hiding like this." Byakuya said. "There are clear laws that state the interactions between all thirteen squads. She should be aware by now, especially if she's ever to become a seated officer."

"And out of all of us," Touga added. "She's the only odd one out."

"What about...Saionji?"

"He graduated a little later, yet is one seat lower than me."

"As usual." Anthy sighed, remembering his inferiority under Touga. She shook her head, "Well, is _he_ in your squad?"

Touga shook his head, "Come with me."

* * *

It took a few minutes for the trio to reach a set of buildings at a nearby hill. Anthy and Chu-chu were very dizzy from their experience with shunpo, but Touga and Byakuya raised hands to keep her standing.

The Squad 6 members looked at the hill and Anthy soon after. They observed a set of figures watching over. It wasn't clear it first, but once Anthy focused a little, she could see a grave in front of them. As Anthy started taking a few steps, the Squad 6 members held her back.

"It's best we did not interfere," Touga suggested. "Some of them are now...mourning."

"Mourning for whom?"

"A friend of the Captain." Touga answered. "More of a friend of a _friend_ of the Captain."

"Which Captain?"

"Captain of Squad 7, Sajin Komamura. He's who Saionji is under."

"That doesn't sound too much like him."

"I bet he does it gain his Captain's attention, just so he can get to training. Too bad he wouldn't take it from his Lieutenant. Or in other words, the one second to the Captain."

"I already guessed what a Lieutenant was." Anthy commented. "But perhaps, he wanted more training from a higher official?"

"Many of us former Council members are like that."

A sudden shunpo flash came from behind and interrupted the conversation, "Is he up there, too?"

The trio look around and saw another Soul Reaper behind them. Anthy also recognized him by his short blue hair.

"Miki?"

"Anthy?" his former classmate said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I...I was wondering the same thing."

"She's just looking for someone," Touga joined in. "But that is all you need to know."

"Hm," Miki thought. "Well then, I won't ask." He shook his head. "Either way, I believe my Lieutenant is still up there the fox-headed captain? No insult."

"You're not part of Squad 7?" Anthy predicted.

"No," Miki turned his back to reveal his number character. "Squad 9, third seat officer." He turned around again. "I was hoping to visit my Lieutenant."

"Lieutenant?" Anthy was confused "Then where's your Captain?"

"I have yet to ask that. But since then, he's been acting the duties of Captain ever since what happened with the previous Captain."

"I better ask the Head Captain the rest about that."

Miki nodded. "Either way, it looks like he's not available at the moment."

"It's probably about your transfer." Touga said. "And Kozue…"

Miki hesitated for a little while. "It's not exactly...like that."

"Transfer?" Anthy said in the middle of their conversation. "Can squad members really do that? Should there be some catch?"

"The process is not that simple," Byakuya clarified. "The only way a squad member or officer can change squads is by will of the Captains in charge. In this case, he will have to request it from his leading officer as well others who are necessary."

"Yes," Miki turned around. "And that means there's only one place I must go to. For now." He turned his head. "That reminds me. There could be someone else worth visiting."

"I already guessed who that might be."

* * *

A brown haired man in a haori rested backward in a house. Chewing on a straw and pulling on strawhat, he sat back and relax on the wooden floor. An older white man in the same haori sat quietly at a table straight across from his guest. On their sides were an orange haired girl and younger black haired girl, both were taking their own teacups. As each of them took a sip, the doors slammed right open.

"Your co-third seat reporting, Captain Ukitake!" two Soul Reapers shouted into the quarters.

The two non-Captain Soul Reapers spit out their tea by their sudden shock. They nearly choked on the beverages and took a couple deep breaths as the two co-third seat officers argued over who got there first.

"Please, please." the white-haired Captain raised his hand. "Kiyone, Sentaro, try not to choke our officers to death."

"We're sorry, sir!" the two kneeled.

The other two officers recovered and starred their arrivals.

"Their bickering is very irritating, isn't it?" the orange-haired woman commented.

"They're like that all the time, Juri." the other Soul Reaper answered. "One can only get use to them."

"Still," Juri took a sip without interference. "It's still annoying."

"Calm down," Ukitake waved to the still kneeling officers. "Just what exactly is the matter?"

"Sorry, sir." Sentaro begged. "It's just that…"

"It's just that we have new visitors for you, Captain Ukitake!" Kiyone completed him.

"Hey, I was going to say that!"

"No I was!"

As the two argued over each other, the so-called guests walked into the room.

"Ah," the straw hat Captain raised from his slumber. "Let me guess, you're here for another test for the transfer?"

Miki nodded. "I've practiced more for the Zanpakuto release. This time, my shikai should go much smoother." He looked at his watch. "And it was shorter than expected."

"I'd expect you to learn quick." The Captain tipped his hat. "After all, you're the smart one of the group."

"Well…"

Anthy and Juri faced each other, but the latter was more surprised. "Anthy?"

"It's been a while, Juri. I see you are an officer of the Soul Society."

"Fifth seat of Squad 13 to be precise."

"What about Shiori? Is she around here, too?"

Juri paused for a moment. "She...stayed behind. Though our relationship has improved, she still has a long way to go before graduating. Not to worry, thanks to Captain Ukitake and Lieutenant Rukia, I'm able to visit her."

"That's...some good news. What about Ruka? Did he make it here?"

"I asked Ukitake about him, but so far, he's nowhere to be found. I wouldn't bother whether he made it while still a Whole since he can still get here even after becoming a Hollow."

"I heard about that. And I wish the same."

As the Ohtori Academy graduates fell silent, the Kuchikis faced each other.

"How are you doing, sister?"

"I'm fine. Thanks, brother."

Anthy jerked between the two. "You two are siblings?"

"Yes," Rukia responded. "Though there isn't much to see why we wouldn't."

Anthy turned to his brother. "Why are you asking?"

Byakuya didn't say anything for a moment. "To make sure she has recovered well."

"Hm?"

"I'm fine. Better than I did before. We should thank Ichigo for it."

"This is the only thanks we could give him."

"Ichigo?" Anthy asked.

"He's...a friend of ours. If it wasn't for him, I would already be dead by now. Let alone forever lose my will to live."

"He sounds like a nice guy."

"Yes," Byakuya interrupted. "And the Soul Society would already be destroyed. There is much we owe Ichigo Kurosaki for what he's done for us."

"I can say the same thing. For the one I'm looking for."

"Happy to hear that, young lady." The straw-captain complimented. "By the way, we never introduced introduced ourselves. I'm Shunsui Kyoraku, Captain of Squad 8. What's your name?"

"Anthy. Anthy Himemiya. You probably heard of Ohtori Academy?"

"Why shouldn't I?" He looked shifted to Juri, Touga, and Miki. "They've been live news all over the Seireitei Communication. So much it's been drowning out the constant broadcasting of my novel."

Rukia waved to Rukia with a red face. "Don't worry about that kind. It's not even worthing going into."

"That's okay. I wasn't planning on staying here for long." Anthy remembered. "Actually, I still need to see the Head Captain."

"And we've need back." Byakuya said behind her.

"Hm?"

"I also remembered." he explained patiently. "The Squad 6 Barracks has an occasional meeting. This is one we can not be tardy for since the noble families will be coming." He turned to Touga. "And he's wanting another spar with Lieutenant Renji thereafter."

"I understand. But if that's the case, I'll need directions to where the Head Captain is."

"I'll do it." Rukia stood up and walked over to Anthy. "Just grab hold of me."

"Wh-"

"Don't worry about me. My brother puts trust in my abilities. Besides, it takes days for a normal human to make it there on foot. All you need to do is hold my hand and I'll get you there and sound."

Anthy nodded in and confidence and grabbed Rukia's hand. The two dashed with a shunpo.

Juri watched Touga say, "On your lead," and the two Squad 6 members also disappeared. Miki walked over to Shunsui and hovered over him. The Captain slowly shook his head, and then got up from his slumber. They two walked out to another entrance in preparation for the test.

But none of that was on Juri's mind. She recalled how Anthy was looking for someone. Looking for who, she wondered. She remembered having a picture of a pink-haired woman on her wall. It's as if she met the girl before, but had no memory of her at all. _Was it her? Is she the one Anthy was talking about? The woman she is looking for?_

* * *

At the Squad 1 barracks, an elderly man stood in the center of the meeting room. He had a long white beard and held a staff in his two hands. He faced away from the center of the meeting room, to the very back wall with the Squad 1 banner. He never budged, even when he heard the doors open behind him. As the two figures slowly walked in, he opened his eyes.

"Head Captain," Rukia reported. "Pardon my interruption, but we have a new visitor who is willing to see you."

"I already know." the old man answered. "Leave her be. I'm sure she'll be fine."

"He's right." Anthy walked further into the barracks. "Don't worry about me."

Rukia nodded and left the Squad 1 barracks as the doors closed between them. Anthy turned back to the old man, who was standing patiently before her.

"Greetings, young lady," the old man welcomed. "I am Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Captain of Squad 1 and Head Captain of the Court Guard Squads."

Anthy bowed to the Head captain as "I've heard about you since I arrived. But never got to see your face until now."

"Indeed, I have also heard much about you before and after you arrived here into the Soul Society."

"Who told you? Yoruichi?"

"She and Sui-Feng told me. And so did your orange-haired friend."

"Touga…"

"And every other being of your type. We've heard about your reason for coming here and the hopes of reuniting with the so called prince. Is that right?"

Anthy nodded and gulped, shaken by the knowledge he's already learned.

"Not to worry, young one. Strange it may be, the Court Guard squads are very diverse. Whether they'd be strange, twisted, or even outcasts of society. As long as you work for the Seireitei of the Soul Society, it doesn't matter who you are or where you're from. All that matter is the protection of the Soul Society and defense of its laws."

"I see," but Anthy was still confused. "What about Yoruichi? Wasn't she an exile who was pardoned? And the event that was resulted in, what happened?"

"Patience, young one. Anthy Himemiya, I know you have many questions. That is way I'll explain it all in full detail for you. All you need to do is listen."

Anthy nodded and her nerves eased more.

Yamamoto began. "To start historically, it all began nearly 100 years ago. Kisuke Urahara, who you may seen, was a Captain of the Soul Society along with Yoruichi. He was also the one created the Soul Society's Research and Development, where he recruited the current Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi. The foundation of this potential new Squad was to make improvements and strengthen our capabilities against any hostile threat."

Anthy reminisced those words. She was well used to one being older than he or she looked. Mostly because she and her brother existed much longer than that. She also thought about the R&amp;D, recalling it to be the same squad Nanami is in. Whether she would make improvements or not was still in the air. Anthy brushed away those thoughts and continued to listen to the Captain, who was aware of her dozing off.

"A while after the R&amp;D was formed, strange occurrences appeared all over the Rukon districts. Without any idea, souls from the Rukon districts were vanishing and the group sent to investigate were mutated into Hollow-like beings. After further investigation, Urahara was found as a culprit and was taken to the Central 46 for those crimes."

"Central 46?"

"Yes, the Central 46 is our judiciary section of the Soul Society. Composed of 40 wise men and 6 judges, they determine the punishment given to all offenders against the Soul Society. They men strongly enforced these laws. Refusing to accept their sentences only raises them. And despite being the enforcers, not even the Captains can appoint or overturn their decisions."

"I guess there something wrong with that..." Anthy commented silently.

"Indeed." Yamamoto replied at her shock. "Don't worry about that comment as we already learned from that mistake. Fortunately for Kisuke, he and Yoruichi, and the others wrongly accused escaped before their sentence could be carried out. Unfortunately, it wasn't until later did we learn of their innocence."

"That must the event that happened recently."

"Yes. A few weeks ago, Rukia Kuchiki was arrested for transferring her powers to a human, which was well against the rules of the Soul Society."

"The same girl who brought me here…"

"Rukia Kuchiki was sentenced to execution, but during the period, many attempted to disrupt it. A group of humans first appeared from the World of the Living, lead by Ichigo Kurosaki, the same human who closely worked with Rukia. Once they broke into the Seireitei, chaos spread to the entire system. From the ordinary Soul Reaper to the Captains, men were being killed or defected in fighting against the Soul Society. Even I was forced to fight with my most trusted comrades to enforce the execution. That's until we discovered the truth."

"You know who did it?"

Yamamoto nodded. "The culprit behind this was the Captain of Squad 5 named Sosuke Aizen."

"Aizen…"

"The name sounds familiar to you. Do you know him?"

"I...I do actually! He was actually an accomplice of my brother! The two worked together for a while...until he just vanished. And that was many years ago."

"Sounds intriguing. Was he ever a kind man to you?"

"Aizen? I don't remember much about him. He looked like an honest gentlemen that one would look up to when they needed help. But knowing the nature of Onii-sama, I doubted that was the man inside him."

"We Soul Reaper Captains also fell to such a ploy. At first, he demonstrated himself to be honorable man. He was known to be kind and nearly wise to my level. However, he revealed himself to be a ruse. And it started with the incident 100 years ago."

"I expected him to be the one behind it."

"Since the beginning, Aizen was responsible for Hollowfication incidents for which he and his cohorts framed Urahara for. That was learned long after learned he wiped out the Central 46, who impersonated them to advanced the execution."

"She's part of a noble family, right? Was this some kind of revenge plot?"

"Aizen's target was not of the Kuchiki family, but something that Urahara held within Lieutenant Rukia. A tool he created called the Hogyoku, which violated the boundaries between Soul Reapers and Hollows, making anything possible. Since Urahara's purpose was to keep it sealed forever, we concluded that the execution was a means acquire it."

"It looks like she's alive and well now. The whole incident must've shocked her."

"Indeed and it was thanks to the humans that came, Rukia was saved. Unfortunately, Aizen already got acquired the Hogyoku with another method and fled with men before we could reach him."

"So where is he now?"

"Hueco Mundo, the land of the Hollows."

"You're meaning-"

"Yes, he is likely to be creating an army of powerful Hollows using the Hogyoku. And wage a war against the Soul Society and its Soul King."

"Soul King?"

"You see, young one, we souls have a king who operates in another dimension from us. We the Gotei 13 and the Central 46 were formed to run the Soul Society in his place. Aizen now threatens overthrown the Soul King, which we must not allow to happen. I'm well told about the so-called revolutions that you and your comrades are deep into, are you not?"

"Well, yes. You're obviously saying this one should not occur."

"Exactly. The Soul King has special duties involving the world as we know it, which only _he_ can perform. He is irreplaceable; should he be removed, even existence will collapse onto itself. Regardless how rotten things have turned out in the Soul Society, much like at your Academy, his overthrowing must never happen at all costs."

"I...guess so. Is that why you brought me and the Student Council members in?"

"Yes. That means that you, too, should participate in the Soul Society to help bolster our strength in the upcoming war."

"But what about Utena? Isn't she around here?"

Yamamoto fell silent. "I'm afraid she is still nowhere to be found. And it is unlikely at this point since we cannot spare many resources in searching for her. I believe you will have to join the Soul Society for now. Not only may we need your power, and you expected it, it will be the only way for you to truly find who you're looking for."

"I am aware that means I'll be put into one of the Court Guard Squads. You must already be aware of my abilities and that will determine my placement."

"Yes, and no. We took your background and abilities to our consideration and we would've given you options, but we were left with one candidate that would fit with you."

"Which one?"

"We will be sending you to Squad 4, the Soul Society's healing division. There, you will be under supervision by its Captain and Lieutenant. They will teach you both the Squad's core abilities and combat training with your own Zanpakuto."

Again, it was expected, but it was also something made Anthy hype. After centuries of helplessness and being on the fence between a princess and a witch, she will finally have some combat ability on her own. Who knows what her prince will think once she has fighting abilities herself. It went against her type, she knew, but that was also the fascinating part. It was also a reason why she left the Academy in the first place, to try out something new without the fears of the outside world.

Anthy thanked the Head Captain with a bow. "I appreciate your offer, Head Captain. I'd like to head out and get to training right away."

"Your appreciation is accepted." Yamamoto call out, "Rukia!"

The doors opened after a few seconds with Rukia stepping in.

"Yes, Head Captain?"

"Bring this woman over to Captain Unohana and Lieutenant Kotestu. Tell them, she is to undergo training with them to improve her skills for the war and her personal request."

"On it, Head Captain." Rukia saw the now hyped Anthy and her pet monkey walk over to her. They raised out hands before heading off with a shunpo.

* * *

The whole journey was frustrating. For days, maybe weeks, Utena was following the masked being down the desert area. With no sights of trees, shops, or stores, Utena was worried over her body health. She felt like calling to the thing where it head, but it could just make him irritated. So she kept it to herself and continued walking with him.

That is until they approached a massive stone building in front of them. It was merely there, stationed in the middle of nowhere. And the doors were huge, at a height well beyond that of a normal person. This building at an unusual place made Utena cautious, especially when the door finally opened all the way.

"_What are you waiting for?"_ the figure said in its child voice, waiting her her to continue. "_Come in."_

Utena clenched her fists more and her heart began to race. She may not have a sword anymore, but that doesn't mean she could just stand unguarded. As she walked into the extremely darkened room,she could feel the pressure increasing. When the doors slowly closed her back in, it just made the rate higher.

Once the doors finally closed, the masked figure appeared at a floor very above her. She could feel some kind of sigh coming from him.

"**Thank you, I can finally relax now."** he complimented. "**Sorry, the sun out there annoys me. It does not reach inside this place."**

Something didn't sound right. It's true some people are very sensitive to light, but not much they would cover themselves up to protect themselves from it. Utena put this into consideration as the figure raised a hand.

"_And now,"_ he changed voices as he grabbed his mask. "_Allow me to take off my mask and greet you properly."_

Utena remained strong as she watched the figure slowly uncovered his face. And then….she dropped.

"Is...is that really you?"


End file.
